Tissue dispensing and disposal device



July 18, 1967 5, DAVlEs 3,331,493

TISSUE DISPENSING AND DISPOSAL DEVICE Filed June 29, 1966 IIVVEIVTORPHILLIPS .S', DAV/E5 United States Patent 3,331,498 TISSUE DISPENSINGAND DISPOSAL DEVICE Phillips S. Davies, San Francisco, Calif., assignorof one-half to Leone Baxter, San Francisco, Calif. Filed June 29, 1966,Ser. No. 561,507 1 Claim. (Cl. 206-57) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Acontainer for dispensing tissues and for storing the used tissues inwhich a free floating fiat partition is used to separate the containerinto compartments for new and used tissues.

This invention relates to a container for storing and dispensing papercleansing tissues and then for receiving and retaining such tissuesafter they have been used.

The extensive use of paper cleansing tissues particularly in instancesinvolving personal hygiene heretofore frequently created the problem ofdisposing of used tissues. Often a suitable disposal receptacle was notavailable and the used tissue was then allowed to be placed where itbecame either unsightly or unsanitary, or both. The general object ofthe present invention is to provide a practical solution to thisdisposal problem.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a container capableof storing a supply of unused tissues in the conventional manneravailable for dispensing one at a time, and also capable of receivingthe tissues as they are used and retaining them so that they need not beotherwise distributed in an unsanitary location. My invention provides aunique container arrangement with an expandable storage compartment forthe used tissues utilizing an internal movable wall. This compartmentincreases in size as the new tissues are dispensed and used therebymaking more room for the crumpled tissues that must be disposed of. Whenall the tissues from a container are used, they are packed into thisdisposal compartment and the entire container can be burned or otherwisedisposed of.

Another object of my invention is to provide a container of theaforesaid type with a movable or floating internal wall that provides astrong sanitary separation between the used and unused tissues.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a containerof the aforesaid type which is particularly well adapted for ease andeconomy of manufacture. My container may be constructed in accordancewith conventional paper carton manufacturing procedures, it is easy toerect and only a small increase in sheet material is required ascompared with conventional tissue dispensing containers.

Other objects, advantages and features of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of oneembodiment thereof presented in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 112.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective from the underside of a containerembodying the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in elevation and in section of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan view partially in section of the containershown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawing, FIGS. 1-3 show a generally oblong tissuecontainer embodying the principles of the invention. In outwardappearance it is similar to conventional paper tissue dispensing cartonsheretofore devised. It may be made from any suitable sheet material suchas cardboard having the thickness required to afford adequate strengthand rigidity. The container is ice preferably formed as a blank which iscut to the proper shape and then is folded and glued when the containeris erected. Various blank configurations may be utilized having anysuitable arrangement for overlapping flaps and glue areas, and thepresent invention is not limited to any precise blank configuration orany particular arrangement of folding sides or ends. Essentially, thecontainer is provided with opposite parallel sidewalls 11 and endwalls12, a top member 13 and a bottom member 14, all of which are connectedtogether along their approppriate edges.

Between the top and bottom members 13 and 14 within the container asshown in FIG. 2, is a free floating or movable partition 15. This lattermember has the same general shape as the top and bottom members, but itslength and width dimensions are slightly less than those members so thatit can move freely up and down without interfering with either thesidewalls 11 or the end walls 12. When constructed, the top member isprovided with a series of perforations or some equivalent scoring means,that allows an opening 16 to be made for removing new tissues from thecontainer. On the bottom member 14 a flap or door 17 is provided,preferably nearer one end which affords access to a lower compartment 13within the container 10 beneath the movable partition 15. This accessdoor 17 may be formed by another series of perforations which are madewhen the container blank is formed and in the desired shape of the door.The door or flap 17 can have any suitable shape such as oval orrectangular, and it remains attached to the bottom member along one sideZtl, thereby forming a hinge. As shown in FIG. 1, I prefer that the dooror flap 17 and the opening 21 that is formed thereby extend transverselyacross the bottom member 14 for a substantial portion of its width andthat it be wide enough to receive used and wadded up tissues with littleeffort.

When the container 10* is used, it is initially packed with a stack 22of folded paper tissues that rests in an upper compartment 23 on top ofthe partition member 15. After the top member 13 has been opened,tissues may be dispensed from the container in the well known manner.Now the door or flap 17 in the bottom member 14 may be released bybreaking the perforations which form its outline. This provides accessto the storage space within the container beneath the movable portion15. As each tissue is used it may be stuffed into the lower compartment18 that is formed within the container beneath the partition. Since thespace required for the stack of unused tissues becomes less as they areused up, more space is made available for the used or soiled tissuesthat are usually wadded up. Thus, the partition continues to moveupwardly as the lower compartment for used tissues is filled. Thepressure provided by the wadded up used tissues pushes the stack ofunused tissues up againt the top member 13 and its opening 16 makingthem easily available for grasping with the fingers.

When the fresh tissues have all been dispensed, the used or soiledtissues are all fully enclosed in one container which can be disposed ofeasily in a sanitary manner.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, manychanges in construction and widely differing embodiments andapplications of the invention will suggest themselves without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and thedescription herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be inany sense limiting.

I claim:

A container for dispersing fresh paper tissues and for receiving used orsoiled tissues comprising in combination:

opposite sidewalls and endwalls connected to a top a stack of tissues inthe container between the internal member and a bottom member;

free floating movable internal partition having substantially the sameshape as said top and bottom members but slightly smaller in length andwidth 5 thereof and unattached to said sidewalls and endwalls wherebythe partition can be freely moved up and down and into planes making anangle with the walls and members;

l0 partition and the top member;

said top member having means providing an opening through which a tissuemay be removed from a stack supported on said internal partition withinsaid container; 15

said bottom member having means forming an opening said means forming anopening is an elongated door portion of said botom member formed byperforations in said bottom member forming the outline of said doorportion except for a straight side portion that remains attached to saidbottom member and forms a hinge therewith,

and said door and its hinge portion extends transversely across thewidth of said bottom member. near one end thereof. 7

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,033,362 5/1962 Marcalus 206-573,095,087 6/1963 Yates 206-57 FOREIGN PATENTS 464,373 4/1937 GreatBritain.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

